


Wanting

by JustSomeoneWhoLikesToWrite



Category: RWBY
Genre: Character Study, Clover has so much patience, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, Drabbles, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Everybody gets flustered, Fluff and Angst, James Ironwood is Bad at Feelings, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Qrow Branwen is Bad at Feelings, Touch-Starved Ironwood, Touch-starved Qrow, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23806396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustSomeoneWhoLikesToWrite/pseuds/JustSomeoneWhoLikesToWrite
Summary: James is not jealous. Really, he isn’t.Or a.k.a James begins to realize that there might be something between Qrow and Clover. And that he might want to be apart of it as well.
Relationships: Clover Ebi/James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi/James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Comments: 13
Kudos: 86





	1. The Realization

It’s inevitable when Clover pins Qrow to the mat, James thinks.

Qrow might be formidable in hand-to-hand but Clover’s semblance gives him the advantage, makes hits that should have landed into near-misses and now-open defenses. James watches as Clover sweeps Qrow’s feet and they go tumbling down, Clover on top of Qrow.

He has Qrow’s arm twisted behind him and his other hand gripping the back of his neck, Clover’s hips pressing into Qrow to prevent him from getting up. Qrow laughs despite the position, the sound muffled from how his cheek is smushed against the mat.

“If you wanted me to be on my hands and knees, lucky charm,” Qrow starts with that infuriating smirk of his on his face, actually _pushes_ back into Clover, “You could of just _asked_.”

“ _Qrow_ ,” James groans, wiping down his face in exasperation.

He expects Clover to take it into stride, his commanding officer not easy to ruffle. And, Clover does, perhaps a bit _too_ much. Because Clover’s smile turns into something darker, something James has never seen before. He presses Qrow’s face harder into the floor, twists his arm just a touch farther. James is about to call the fight, doesn’t know what Clover is _doing_ but-

But, Qrow doesn’t respond with a snarky retort or a biting curse, he just sort of _melts_. Sinks into the mat with a shiver, a pretty flush working its way up his neck and Clover just keeps holding him there, confident in his position, smirk a little too _knowing_ and-

James gasps as he steps back. He can hear his heart in his ears, his skin feeling too hot and too tight, like he’s ready to burst. His mouth goes dry. He can’t explain the way heat settles heavy in his stomach like molasses.

_Qrow_ and _Clover_ -

_Clover_ and _Qrow_ -

James shakes his head, runs shaking fingers through his hair. Closes his eyes to try to get rid of the image of Clover on top of Qrow, strong bulk against lithe muscle, sweaty and panting as they move together-

James inhales sharply through his nose. Presses the button to the intercom.

“I think that’s enough for now, Huntsmen,” he says, hopes his voice doesn’t sound as wrecked as he feels, watching Qrow and Clover jump like they forgot he was there, “I think we could all use a break.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I’m back into this fandom after a couple months of hiatus. I couldn’t stay away lol
> 
> Anyway, this is gonna be a series of loosely connected short stories/drabbles with lots of pining and UST through out. I almost hesitate to call it a Slow Burn, because they basically all like each other already, it just Qrow and James are masters at pretending like they don’t need human feeling and Clover is unending well of patience and is content to wait for them lol Though let’s see how long that lasts because we all know how pushy Clover can be ;)


	2. Introspection

Qrow likes to pretend that he enjoys being alone, James notices.

Likes to pretend he’s made of rock, all jagged insides and sharp edges. That there’s nothing good in him and you’ll only hurt yourself for trying to find any. _Just a bad luck charm_ , is what he’ll say with that smile of his, too small and too wry and so so _sad_ , palpable even through the guise he puts on.

But James knows, he _knows_ , that’s not true. Knows how much Qrow likes being around people, flourishes from under the attention like the roots of a flower.

(He sees how Qrow is around his nieces, how he softens around the edges when Ruby clings to his side with all her limbs, ruffling her hair with a roll of his eyes. The way his face lights up when Yang delivers a particularly hard punch, delighted and proud in a way that her mother could never be.

How he smiles when he isn’t trying to hide it, when he’s _really_ enjoying himself; how his eyes will sparkle and his brows will scrunch up and his lips will stretch wide and unbidden, teeth on prominent display, expression prettier and brighter than the stars themselves and-)

And, James sees that Clover brings out that side of Qrow, even if Qrow himself doesn’t even notice it.

Clover has always been kind, had always been persistent and it was only a matter of time before he dug his fingers into Qrow’s shell and got to the soft insides. The Ace-Op’s leader could never resist a challenge and seeing bitter old Qrow had probably ticked all his boxes. Clover, ever perceptive and ever caring, had probably seen through Qrow’s aloof facade like tissue paper and had set himself to the task of rectifying that.

So, it’s not surprising to James, not really, that they became friends. What’s really surprising is that they might be something _more_.

And, James is seeing it right now, that closeness, as he goes through his daily debrief with them and their respective teams. Sees how they send glances at each other, never far from the other, always near like they both held gravity dust in their bodies. James tries not to let it distract him but, it’s so _obvious_ in all of the ways that it’s _not_ and he finds his gaze on them more often then he’d like. He ignores the tight feeling in his chest.

When he finishes the meeting, he asks to speak to Qrow alone. And that gets Clover and Qrow glancing at each other again, an unspoken conversation passing between them. The moment is brief, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it thing, but it has James absentmindedly tapping at his desk with his fingers, watching as Clover steps back with a nod at Qrow. Qrow keeps his eyes on Clover even as he walks away.

(And James keeps his eyes on Qrow as the rest of the teams file out, taking the opportunity to scrutinize him without him noticing.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is for me to get inside James head and how he sees things. To me, he seems the type to fucking overthink *everything* and he’s very analytical.
> 
> I also wanted to demonstrate how well he knows Qrow and even Clover to a certain extent. And as this is gonna be a 3-way romance, while James is jealous right now, he doesn’t hate Clover and actually admires and respects him. To me, James might sometimes be a hardass and uptight but under all that, he is very very soft. Volume 7 was him at the end of his rope already.
> 
> Anyway, pining galllooree this chapter and the next chapter will be his talk with Qrow.


	3. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two awkward soft bois try to have a talk.

Qrow still has that unapproachable pose of his going, hands in pockets, posture frankly terrible but James can see the difference.

It isn’t as closed off as it could be, his eyebrows lax and lips soft, expression shuttered but not overtly antagonistic.

He seems.... relaxed, bordering on content in a way that James hasn't seen for a long _long_ time.

And when everyone is finally out of the room and Qrow fully turns to face him, his body still looks at ease. His face might be wary, but it wouldn’t be Qrow if he wasn’t just a bit skeptical.

“There a reason you wanted to get me alone, Jimmy?” Qrow drawls, one eyebrow raised, blunt as ever and James lets out a fond chuckle.

“Do I need a reason to check up on an old friend?” he retorts, chin dipped a little, a subdued smile behind the clasp of his intertwined fingers.

He wasn’t lying when he said he was happy to see Qrow again. They might have their arguments and differences, but Qrow will always be his closest and most precious friend.

(There’s something to say about what-ifs and uncertainties and after the fall of Beacon, not knowing if Qrow was okay or even if he was still _breathing_ , was worse than knowing anything at all. So, seeing him for the first time since then, disgruntled and in handcuffs but alive, _alive_ , was like seeing the sun break through storm clouds, like sinking into a bed after a long day.

It was like finding a forgotten shirt in the back of your dresser, not knowing how much you missed it until it was right in front of you again.)

Qrow scoffs, but the side of his mouth is curled up into a lazy grin.

“Seeing you run the show, soldiers tripping over themselves to follow your orders,” he starts, tone teasing but kind, head slightly tilted as he walks up to James’s desk, “Almost forgot how much of a sap you are.”

And James just smiles, moving to stand up from his chair.

“Then indulge this ‘sap’, Qrow,” he says, hands behind his back as he slowly circles his desk, until he’s in front of Qrow and there’s just a few steps of space between them, “Tell me how have you been, how you are adjusting to life in Atlas.”

Qrow’s gaze goes a little skittish, the way it always does when someone shows that they might actually care for him. His tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip and his hand finds the back of his neck. James’s eyes briefly fall to Qrow’s mouth before raising to hold his gaze.

“Uh- it’s uh- it’s going good,” Qrow says, shuffles his feet, “Nothing to complain about it. Expect, heh, having to wake up so goddamn early every day.”

James shakes his head at that, a rumbling chuckle coming from deep within his chest.

“You were never a morning person,” he agrees and Qrow’s mouth twitches at the corners, his eyes bright.

James steps a touch closer to him, puts a firm hand on Qrow’s shoulder. Qrow sucks in a shuddery breath.

“Despite the circumstances,” James murmurs, running a thumb across the crease of Qrow’s neck; Qrow’s lids flutter at the contact and James swallows, mouth gone a little dry, “I’m truly happy that you’re settling in. Atlas is my home and I want you to feel like it could be yours as well, even if it’s just for a little while.”

James watches in breathless surprise as Qrow’s ears go pink at the tips. He’s hit with the sudden and irrational urge to press his fingers to the skin, to feel if it’s hot to the touch.

_Dangerous_ , his mind blares at him, _this situation is_ ** _dangerous_**.

James steps away from Qrow with a hastiness that he hopes isn’t too obvious, heart in his ears. Qrow stares at him, the red of his eyes dark and blazing with an intensity that has James’s skin tingling. James clears his too tight throat.

“I- uh-,” James starts, gaze flighty as he adjusts his tie, needs to keep his hands busy, “That’s- all I wanted to say. Thank you for listening to me.”

An awkward pause, where they just look at each other. Something incomprehensible flashes across Qrow’s face. He opens his mouth before closing it shortly after, rolling his jaw like he’s chewing on the words. He steps to create more space between them and James’s stomach sinks for reasons he can’t explain.

“I’ll just take my leave then, Jimmy,” Qrow says, a crooked smile on his face and there’s _something_ in his tone, something expectant and hesitant and a bit disappointed, like he’s _waiting_ for something, like he wants to ask for something he thinks he shouldn’t have and-

And James puts a stop to that train of thought, scolds himself for looking for something that isn’t even there. He nods his head instead, putting one hand on his desk as he gestures at the door with the other, an amicable smile on his face. He watches as Qrow slowly makes his way out, turning to look at him once more before he closes the door.

_Oh_ , James thinks numbly as he carefully peels the fingers from his right hand off the desk, looking at the small dents he left behind, _I might have to recalibrate the sensitivity of my joints again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So lots of pining in this chap., with a pinch of UST. James is too self-sacrificing to give himself what he wants and Qrow is too self-deprecating to think he deserves to have what he wants. Both of them are stubborn idiots right now lol
> 
> Next chap is gonna be a James/Clover one and its going to be placed before the show even starts. So flashback time!


End file.
